Workers protest against ‘return to apartheid’ at Rio Tinto in Namibia

Last Friday’s protest follows workers downing tools in July after Rio Tinto installed surveillance equipment in haul trucks. The workers are represented by IndustriALL affiliate Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN).

The Rössing workers’ petition says the surveillance equipment – including a voice recorder hidden behind the operator’s seat – was installed by management without consultation in violation of Rio Tinto’s code of conduct “The way we work”.

IndustriALL recently documented Rio Tinto’s systematic violation of its own code of conduct in Rio Tinto; the way it really works.

The petition also raises victimization of workers’ representatives, the company unilaterally changing conditions of work, and safety concerns.

Safety concerns are widespread among workers at Rio Tinto. This year there have already been worker fatalities at Rio Tinto in Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Madagascar and South Africa.

Rössing workers’ demands include the withdrawal of charges against workers that protested the installation of surveillance equipment, that management respect company policy, and that management treat workers with respect.

MUN also recently raised concern about the increasing use of precarious labour at Rössing. Precarious labour includes temporary, casual and contracted-out work that is often low-wage, low-benefit and insecure.

Workers at Rössing are preparing for the 7 October global day of action at Rio Tinto. 7 October is a day on which unions around the world mobilize against precarious work as part of IndustriALL’s STOP Precarious Work campaign. Unions around the world at Rio Tinto will call on Rio Tinto to stop using precarious work and instead provide safe jobs with good wages and benefits.

Female mine workers – colleagues not sex objects

Speaking at conference addressing health and safety in mining in South Africa on 7 August, Phumeza Mgengo, who is national secretary of the women’s section at NUM, said:

"We as women are viewed as sex objects in most cases. If women are given tasks which require them to bend [over], your middle area is exposed and that leads to sexual harassment.”

She told participants that women are complaining of abuse and discrimination from their co-workers in mining:

"When they [men] see us, they don't see colleagues, they see sex objects."

South Africa’s mining industry has been marred by acts of violence against women. In March this year, a woman was raped at the Thembelani mine in Rustenburg and in December last year, a male contract worker was convicted of the brutal rape and murder of female miner, Pinky Mosiane, who was working underground at Anglo Platinum’s Khomanani mine in 2012.

IndustriALL’s director of mining, Glen Mpufane, said:

“Sexual violence against women is widespread and unreported by victims due to fear of reprisals, intimidation and losing their jobs.

According to official figures, the number of women working in mining has risen from six per cent of the workforce at the beginning of 2008 to 16 per cent at the end of 2104. However, women are underrepresented in all hierarchical positions.

“Discrimination against women is deeply rooted and demands change,” added Mpufane.

In one month’s time, Phumeza Mgengo will speak about women’s health and safety in mining at IndustriALL’s World Women Conference in Austria on 15 and 16 September.

Labour related Master programmes open in Brazil and South Africa

The programmes focus on global governance including international labour standards, economics, trade, and multinational companies from a labour perspective and on trade unions and other social movements as actors of change.

A limited number of scholarships will be awarded by the GLU network to students in need of support. 

The deadlines for application as well as programme details are available through the links below:

1 September 2015 for University of the Witwatersrand  http://www.global-labour-university.org/3.html
Contact: Pulane Ditlhake [email protected]  



1 October 2015 for University of Campinas http://www.global-labour-university.org/114.html 

Contact: Prof.  Eugenia Leone [email protected]

The Global Labour University is a joint initiative of universities from different continents, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) the international trade union movement and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. GLU offers Masters Courses in five different countries on trade unions, sustainable development, social justice, international labour standards, multinational companies, economic policies and global institutions and promotes research cooperation on global labour issues. For more details visit the website http://www.global-labour-university.org/.

Kenyan unions prioritize organizing

‘’This is good for our affiliates in Kenya and will support them to achieve their objectives,” said Isaac  COTU Public  Relation Officer.

A National Project Planning Meeting with Kenyan affiliates took place in Nairobi on 17 and 18 July 2015.  IndustriALL project coordinator Aneno Catherine shared the strategy developed with Ugandan affiliates and the same approach was adopted for Kenya by all participating unions.  The strategy focuses on three key approaches; a joint action strategy for organizing, education for action on precarious work and capacity development for occupational health and safety.

Mapping of new companies was discussed and participants adopted a mapping tool that was reviewed during the meeting. Individual unions also developed targets for recruitment and work plans to take forward the project.

Affiliates also formed a National Council to come together and plan joint work for unity and cooperation amongst themselves. Substructures were also formed on organizing and occupational health and safety for the effective implementation of project activities within the unions. 

Ugandan affiliates boost organizing

Four IndustriALL affiliates National Union of Clerical Commercial professional and Technical Employees (NUCCPTE), Uganda Textile, Garment, Leather and Allied Workers' Union (UTGLAWU), Uganda Chemical, Petroleum and Allied Workers Union (UCPAWU) and Uganda Hotel Food Tourism and Allied Workers Union (UHFTAWU) participated in the training, which is part of the IndustriALL East African Union Building Project.

Jan Toft Rasmussen, OHS consultant from Dansk Metal, Denmark facilitated the workshop. Rune Albertine, programs’ officer of the Danish trade union council for international development co-operation LO-FTF, was also present.

The participants received a comprehensive training on the ways to do organizing by dealing with health and safety issues and precarious work. The organizers shared their skills and experiences and discussed future strategies and cooperation among the unions.

Talking about the legal framework in Uganda, Moses Mauku, Director of the Planning and Development Hotels Union (UHFTAWU) stressed upon the importance of the industrial relations adamant for most employers, but bewailed the difficulties faced by the unions when it comes to implementation of their rights to organize.

Presenting the issue of precarious work Catherine Aneno, the Project Coordinator, Industriall East African Union Building Project said, ‘’Workers cannot save for their future, locked in the cage and the economy is robbed since this worker cannot pay taxes to build the economy’’. In her presentation Catherine Aneno touched upon the factors contributing to the spread of precarious work and disadvantages for workers and the economy. She also spoke about the ways to combat precarious work.

Moses Mauku, Director Planning and Research at UHFTAWU talked about the aspects of aspects of laws that regulate the OSH implementation in Uganda.

Jan Toft Rasmussen took the participants through the steps of developing trade union OHS strategy. Basing on the best practices in Denmark in his presentation he explained how to use OHS as an organizing tool targeting especially employers.

Catherine Aneno explained to the participants the various steps that need to be done in order to prevent accidents at workplaces and what to do if accidents happen.

At the end of the workshop it was decided that participants will write reports about the training and present them to their General Secretaries and copy project coordinator for IndustriALL East African Union Building Project, while their respected unions will:

AFL-CIO awards TUCOSWA Human Rights Award

Swaziland has in the past had in place a basic legal platform for worker rights advocacy, a  labour relations system including a labour court, a mediation and conciliation body, and a system of tripartite dialogue between unions, employers, and government, existing alongside autocratic rule of the monarch. However in recent years Swaziland’s monarchical government has become increasingly repressive.

The Trade Union Confederation of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), formed in 2012 when the Swaziland Federation of Labour, the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, and the Swaziland National Association for Teachers merged, was refused registration and legal standing for three years, during which time the political space for unions constricted. Tripartite dialogue was discontinued and freedom of association was curtailed by regular police actions against union meetings and protests.

Despite pressure from other countries and the International Labour Organization, Swaziland’s government refused to make promised policy reforms that would recognize freedom of assembly, speech, and organization and curtail the broad discretionary authority that police use to disrupt union activities and arrest civil society activists including union leaders, journalists, student leaders, and political dissidents. 

“The Swaziland government’s aggressive stance consistently violates its international commitment to core labour standards and endangers the country’s economic development. Because of its open violation of the worker rights eligibility criteria in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Swaziland lost preferential access to the U.S. market in 2015,” explains the AFL-CIO. “This resulted in the loss of thousands of garment sector jobs and risks thousands more over the course of the year.  The government’s inconsistent decision-making remains the biggest hurdle to job creation and poverty reduction in the country.”

As legal and physical attacks on Swaziland workers and their allies became more frequent, TUCOSWA remained resolute in its support for worker rights, standing up for its right to exist, and to support human rights activists illegally harassed and imprisoned. TUCOSWA has stood for democracy, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Through persistent efforts and support from unions worldwide, TUCOSWA won its recognition battle in May 2015, but continues to face hurdles in the way of making legal standing a reality. 

“Swaziland will not be able to address its major economic needs without a strong TUCOSWA supporting worker efforts to organize, bargain, and advocate for their basic human rights;” says the  AFL-CIO. “For its dedication to fighting for a more democratic country that recognizes and protects freedom of association and worker rights, the AFL-CIO is pleased to award TUCOSWA the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award.”

NUM fighting back on retrenchments at Kumba Iron Ore

Management of the Anglo American owned company agreed during a meeting with the union on 23 July 2015 that they will work with the union to negotiate retrenchments at its Northern Cape mines.

Currently 261 workers stand to lose their jobs at their operations at Kolomela and Sishen in the Northern Cape. Kumba Iron Ore is also closing its Thabazimbi operation in the Limpopo province which will result in 1160 job losses. A meeting between the union and management has been scheduled for next week on the retrenchments at Thabazimbi.

"This is a tragedy for the mineworkers and the community of Thabazimbi. Each worker supports about 10 people so there are too many people that will be without bread at the end of the day," said Lucas Phiri, NUM Chief Negotiator at Kumba Iron Ore, “but if these retrenchments are inevitable we know what a setback this is for workers and the hardship it causes for them and their families so we will work hard to get them the best possible packages”.

The NUM also questions whether the company met its legal obligation to inform the Minister of Minerals Resources of its intention to retrench and has requested the Minister to intervene to prevent the retrenchments. The union has also demanded a moratorium to be placed on retrenchments at all mines saying “enough is enough”.

22-month USW strike ends in agreement with Crown in Toronto

Workers will finally go back to work after a vicious attack on their employment conditions forced the 120 members of USW Local 9176 out on strike in September 2013.

A tentative agreement was reached on 8 July when the company dropped its intransigent condition that the 34 leading union supporters could not have their jobs back even after a settlement is reached.

IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan celebrated the strength of the strike:

Our sisters and brothers finally go back to work by standing strong against the attempts to eliminate the union. Congratulations! We will not forget Crown’s shameful union busting attempts.

Crown achieved double profits in 2012 and hailed the Toronto Crown Metal Packaging factory as its best site in North America. Then told workers there that their salaries and conditions were being cut dramatically, and effectively the company was attempting to destroy the union.

The company was allowed to hire contract replacement workers during the strike. The USW criticized the Ontario government for failing to direct binding arbitration.

“These men and women can return to work with their heads held high. They are going back shoulder-to-shoulder, with their union and their principles intact,” said Marty Warren, USW Ontario Director.

"Clearly, this strike demonstrates the pressing need for amendments to the Labour Relations Act that would provide for binding arbitration in long and difficult strikes and would impose a ban on the use of replacement workers. We urge the Liberal government to take the necessary steps through the current labour law review process to commit to those reforms," Warren added.

The battle against union busting by Crown in Turkey is continuing. IndustriALL affiliate Birlesik Metal-Is has been forced to lodge numerous legal complaints and the labour court has ruled that almost all workers sacked by Crown were sacked for joining the union. One of the managers has been convicted with a six-month prison sentence, although the sentence has been suspended. Pepsi and Coca-Cola are conducting audits into the plant.

IndustriALL’s Ghanaian affiliate ICU had to mobilize a campaign in order to force Crown to negotiate redundancies of its members this year. ICU Deputy General Secretary Emmanue Benimah reports: “Crown has now sold up and left Ghana. We were able to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with the company that brought our members proper redundancy payments, but this was only possible once we put them under great pressure.”

Towards a South African National Minimum Wage

The booklet provides an overview of the key issues and is intended to assist trade unions to popularise democratic debates on a National Minimum Wage (NMW) amongst workers, shop stewards and officials.

Click below to view full report

Madagascar workers fighting back against Sherritt

Unionists at an IndustriALL workshop on organizing and building union power in Antananarivo, Madagascar, painted a graphic picture of Sherritt’s trade union busting tactics and intimidation of workers at its multi-billion-dollar Ambatovy nickel mining operation in the country.

Affiliates at the IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional workshop on 29 and 30 June shared stories of systemic threats of dismissals and the promotion of yellow unions against established unions.

Unions say Sherritt has violated the labour law of Madagascar by unilaterally announcing the layoffs of 900 workers for six months, without prior consultation with the company’s Comité d’Entreprise (workers committee).

IndustriALL has been given a mandate by the trade unions at local, regional and national level in Madagascar, as well as the trade union Confederation and the independent union organizing at Ambatovy, to take up the unacceptable labour relations situation at Ambatovy with Sherritt’s headquarters in Canada, the local Sherritt management in Madagascar and the government of Madagascar.

IndustriALL, together with its Malagasy affiliate trade unions, FESATI, FSTEM, SVS and SEKRIMA, committed to collaborate to put pressure on Sherritt to re-instate the 900 workers, including union leaders.

The trade unions have given IndustriALL a set of demands to present to the parties concerned with the crisis at Ambatovy:

IndustriALL has been asked to mobilize international solidarity in the event that Sherritt fails to respond, or retaliates and victimizes union members and their representatives.

The workshop took place against the background of a fragile industrial relations environment in Madagascar, often characterized by tension, fear and anxiety amongst workers. This is caused by the combative and hostile employer and government collaboration that is aimed at crushing trade unions.

Employers are suspected of having infiltrated trade unions in Madagascar, which has resulted in infighting, disunity and suspicion amongst each other, making them weak and vulnerable.

The objective of the workshop, which was funded by Swedish affiliate IF Metall’s union-to-union organization, was to clarify and deepen understanding of the law and trade union rights in Madagascar; highlight the global perspectives in organizing; and to share collective bargaining experiences in the region.